Love Kills

AMG Review of Love Kills

Matt Whalley
All Music Guide

Joe Strummer unravels the story of Sid Vicious on "Love Kills," the theme song from the film Sid and Nancy. It is probably one of the best examples of Joe Strummer's solo capabilities. Unlike Joe Strummer's two later solo albums, he manages to be poetic without becoming unintelligible. Strummer muses on the death of a lost hero and appropriately gives "Love Kills" a distinctly sad feel. The song has a solid rhythm that does not change throughout, which stands in stark contrast to the Ramones' hard-driving ode to Sid Vicious, also entitled "Love Kills." The reverse side of the single offers a dub version of the song as well as an instrumental, which are almost identical. Through Strummer's powerful vocals, "Love Kills" does justice to the depressing story of Sid Vicious' life. It is only the instrumental version alone that shows "Love Kills" to be slightly dated. This single shows Joe Strummer's ability to capture the mood and tone of a story and create a meaningful and honest ribute.